Fire Borrowing Will Continue Into Foreseeable Future

This wildfire season has already been so severe, that Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says the Forest Service has already had to move money from forest maintenance and education into firefighting efforts.  It’s a tactic known as fire borrowing.  During a recent Senate hearing, Perdue told lawmakers the fire funding fix approved this spring won’t be on the books until October of next year.

“So we’ll still have to look toward transferring money from our operating budgets into fire suppression this year and appealing to Congress again to backfill some of those funds we’ve borrowed in the FY19 budget.”

Oregon’s Ron Wyden said lawmakers are all in when it comes to fighting wildfires.

“We’re committed to make sure that they have the tools that they need.”

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